Flexible band



Mardi 15, 1932 l F. DPPENscHMlTT FLEXIBLE BAND Filed April 21, 1930 1P llllllllllllllllllllllll Inl 4. bti n@ yg Patented Winn'. i5, i932 UNITED STATES PATENT carica FLEXIBLE BAND Application Bled April 21, 1930, Serial No. 445,950, and in Germany September This invention relates to improvements in fiexible bands, especially designed for the purposes of personal `adornment, such as wrist watch and other bracelets, anklets, etc.,

and particularly to improvements in braceets of the application Serial No. 250,756, filed January 3l, 1928, wherein the bracelet is formed of a iieXib-le band of metal, fox-tail strip, lo milanaise fabric or other flexible material reinforced against distortion by transverse cross-members which serve also to give an ornamental appearance to the band and which are provided with clips at their ends engaging the longitudinal edges of the band to hold said cross-members in position as well as to furnish an ornamental edging for the band and to conceal and protect the raw edges thereof. More particularly my invention relates to structures of this character which, while possessing the characteristics above stated, are intended to allow such cross-meinbers to be used while admitting of a desired degree of flexibility of the bracelet.

One object of the resent invention is to provide a constructlon and arrangement whereby the cross-members may be spaced to allow flexibility of the bracelet without the necessity of tapering or cutting the edges of the clips at an angle in order to obtain iiexibility of the bracelet band.

A further object of the invention is to providel a construction and arrangement of the cross-members whereby such members may be 35 spaced as desired to regulate the fiexibility of the band and/or to expose portions of the band to aid in securing ornamentality or to produce pattern changes, when desired.

The invention consists of the features of O construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which Fig. l is an outer side views of a portion of a milanaise or other metal mesh fabric bracelet band showing cross-members arranged alternately on opposite sides of the band to mutually act as reinforcing and spacing cross-m embers.

general type shown in my prior Figs. 2 and 53 are respectively cross-sections on lines 2 2 and 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a flexible hand of metal or other non-mesh fabric material.

Fig. 5 is av similar view showing a modification in the spacing arrangement of outer and inner cross-members.

Figs. (i and 7 are sections taken on line 6 6 and 7`7 of Figs. 4 and 5, respectively.

F ig. t3 is a view showing another spacing arrangement of the cross-members.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on line 9 9 of Fig. S.

Fig. 10 is a view showing a modification mi of the band and in the form of the crosspieces.

Fig. 1l is a crosssection on line 11h11 of Fig. l0.

Referringnow more particularly to Figs. 7.0 l to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, l designates the fiexible body band of the bracelet, which is represented as being made of fox-tail chain or milanaise or other metal mesh fabric, but which, as hereinafter described, may be made of thin gold, silver, or other flexible sheet metal, leather, Celluloid or other suitable material. This band l is provided upon, the outer and inner sides thereof with an armor consisting of thin, narrow transverse reinforcing members f2 and 3, preferably made of sheet metal of the character desired, said reinforcing members extending between the longitudinal marginal edges of the band l and being provided at their ends with U-shaped portions or clips 4 and 5 which engage over said ends of the band and are compressed tightly to frictionally engage and interlock with the band and to thereby secure the reinforcing members thereto.v If desired, ce the band may be provided in its opposite sides adjacent to and parallel with its longitudinal edges with grooves 6 into which the free edges of the clips 4 and 5 may be forced for an interlocking engagement to assist in the security of the connection. ln the particular arrangement shown in 1 the ieinforcing members Q and 3 are arranged singly and in alternation with each other at opposite sides of the band, and the clips .4-of la() the outer members 2 are turned inwardly over the edges of the band, while the clips 5 0f the inner members 3 are turned outwardly over the edges of the band, so that the clips of each set of cross-members are arranged between and hold the other cross-members spaced apart a distance equal to the width of a cross-member. By this arrangement the reinforcing members render theband l of equal flexibility in either lateral direction, while spacing the members of each set, so that the spaced arrangement of the outer members 2 will allow the intervening portions of the outer surface of the band 1 to show through such spaces between them, whereby contrast in effect may be produced to add ornamentality and novelty of appearance to the brace` let. The clips 4 and 5 also serve the purpose of concealing and protecting the marginal edges of the band and obviate the necessity of selvaging such edges, raw edges may be employed without any preliminary finishing.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the construction is the same as that described with respect to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that a fieXible metal band ln is shown as employed in place of the metal mesh fabric band 1. In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 7 however, which also illustrate the use of a metallic band 1a, there is a change in` the arrangement of the reinforcing membersv or strips 2 and 3, the members 2 being here shown as arranged in groups, of a pair of strips or members to each group, and spaced by a single strip or member 3 between them. By this arrangement the general external appearance of the bracelet may bevaried from 1 that shown in Figs. 1 and 4, while at the same time the degree of exibility of the bracelet in one lateral direction may be decreased with respect to its degree of iiexibility in the other lateral direction.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown still another form of the invention in which a band 1 of metal mesh fabric, as in Fig. 1, is used and in which the transverse members or arranged in groups of three memstrips 2 are ich ad]acent groups bers to a group and in w of the members 2 are separated by individual cross-members 3. This arrangement of the reinforcing members allows the external appearance of the bracelet to be further changed and its lateral flexibility regulated to a further degree, as will be readily understood.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 10 and 11, I disclose the use of a double body band, consisting of members 1 and 1u arranged in parallel relation and adapted to mutually reinforce each other and to give increased thickness and strength to the bracclet structure. These members 1 and 1l may be made respectively of metal mesh fabric and sheet metal or of any of the other materials mentioned. In this structure I also so that a cut band with y Athe production of bracelets of dili'erent degrees of strength and iexibility and formed of different materials.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides a bracelet or like band for personal adornment which provides an effective type of armor for the bracelet band itself vwithout rendering the band unduly i stiff or requiring the clips of the transverse reinforcing members to be tapered or cut `off at an angle in order to secure a desired degree of flexibility of the band. By the spaced arrangement of the outer and inner bands, more or less of the outer surface of the body band may be left exposed to add ornamentality or contrast to the surface of the bracelet when this part of the bracelet is made ofV a precious metal or is otherwise of ornamental or finished appearance. By arrangement of the outer and inner bands in the various ways set fortlrthe degree of lateral flexibility of the bracelet band in either direction may also be governed and controlled, as circumstances may require, and the use of outer and inner reinforcing members allows very thin material to be em- Jloyed in the construction of these members without reducing the strength of the bracelet. As previously described, the provision of the transverse reinforcing members with end clips admits of the use ofj a band having raw or unselvaged edges, which are covered and concealed by the clips to prevent exposure thereof and liability of injury to the person or garments of the wearer.' The band and reinforcing elements may, also, in addition to being formed of materials of contrasting appearance, be variously shaped or enameled or otherwise finished so that by the use of bracelet forming elements of the same general character or structure bracelets of widely difterent surface appearances may be pro duced.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. A iexible structure of the character set forth comprising a fiexible body band, and sets of reinforcing members on opposite sides of said band having clips embracing the edges of the band, the clips of the inner set of members holding the outer members spaced to expose the outer surface of the band therethrough.

2. A flexible structure of the character set forth comprising a body band, outer reinforcing strips extending transversely of the band and having clips `engaging the edges of the band, said strips being arranged in groups of a' plurality of strips to a group, and inner reinforcing strips having clips engaging the edges of the band and spacing adjacent groups of outer strips.

3. A bracelet including a flexible band, identical ystiflening strips extending tran"- versely of the band on both faces thereof, each of the strips having its ends bent over the edge portions of the band to hold the strips in place on the band, certain of the strips on one side of the band being positioned on the band in spaced relation longitudinally of the band, the strips on the other side of the band being spaced longitudinally of the band to lie opposite the spaces. between the strips on the first side and having their bent over portions holding the strips on the first side of the band spaced' whereby alternate portions of the band are exposed on opposite faces of the bracelet.

FRIEDRICH DPPENSCHMITT. 

